Can anyone tell me about thier sxs after doing a CT from xanax?

[[je...]]

Cedar, she says the XR is less addictive and she does not hand out the regular xanax like my last doctor did.  In her opinion it is not a problem to stay on the XR forever.  I am going to try and convince her that I need the regular pills to taper and that I want off.  I am not a drug seeker by any means,  I started doing this on my own... not because anyone made me.  I just realized these pills were making me a mess.  I hope she will help me or like you said just give me the prescription and let me do what I want.  Jess

[[ce...]]

People who wish to taper are not drug seekers.  If she's not willing to help you by giving you something other than XR, maybe it's time to find another doctor. No one is accusing of drug seeking. XR is not less addictive as I'm hoping you know by now.  It's still a benzo and benzo's harm the cns period.

 

I'm really glad you're seeing that you need to get off this stuff, but don't do it in a fashion that will cause you problems down the line. You've gotten some really great advice here, but also some not so great advice re: cold turkey. Do people survive cold turkey? I'd say most do.  But is it safe or right for you?  Not really.  Take the sound advice and taper.  Be smart and be an advocate for your own health. I've literally talked to countless people who've done cold turkey's like Greengirl for instance who say if they had to do it over again they would have tapered.

[[je...]]

Cedar.. ya I have done one ct already.  I decided overnight to stop K at 2mgs per day and cut my X in half.  My major problem is i am in a fairly small town and she is the only practitioner covered under my insurance.  I have not taken the XR yet.  I am really hoping she will see that I want off these pills I dont just want to be stable on anything forever.  I was a highly functional person prior to the pills and just want to go back to that.  Thanks for the help, Jess

[[ce...]]

Wishing you the best Jess and hope she'll do what's right for you.  Sometimes it helps to have a take charge attitude with your doc. After all, they are working for you, you're the boss, not the other way around. 

[[be...]]

Why is it that everyone seems to attack a person for stating their experience with a CT?  It's just an 'experience' and an opinion and we ask for that.

 

We understand that this forum is completely against any CT cuts from Benzos. If this is all we are going to be lectured on, then maybe this forum isn't the place I want to get my info from.  I would like to hear experiences from ALL people, not just the slow taperers! Please don't scare them off or you will scare me off??

 

We are all different, have different tolerances, dosages, symptoms, lifestyles, jobs, support systems, etc..

 

Please don't lecture someone for explaining their experience nor me for asking a specific opinion, especially because we are new and inexperienced......  I Got the 'Colin' warning at the beginning and understand that.

 

If you don't want to hear this, then delete me from your forum.....  :'(

 

Bertha

 

 

[[je...]]

Wow Bertha.. you are passionate about this.  I too must agree that you do get treated kind-of badly for wanting to ct.  And for me this one is really not even a choice like my last one.  I have to use my insurance and this Dr. takes my insurance...as did the one I saw for 19 months prior who prescribed these things like crazy well she WONT prescribe them to me.  I CANNOT afford to pay out of pocket to start seeing another Dr.  I am a single mom with a child who does need constant medications.....That is why I posted this on the CT board but, honestly the responses scared me out of my mind.  So thanks to those of you who told me it was do-able bc I may not have a choice but to do it.  I have done one ct by choice and I try to be supportive of everyone...tapering or not.  Jes

[[be...]]

Just my opinion again  , but I feel that 'IF' I had had a successful past CT experience, I would be afraid to post it on here for the backlash I would get for 'sharing' the experience to others. 

 

C/T, ............it's NOT for everyone and is DANGEROUS! .......................

 

BUT! ............please share your experience if you have successfully done it.

 

Bertha 

 

 

[[to...]]

People who wish to taper are not drug seekers.  If she's not willing to help you by giving you something other than XR, maybe it's time to find another doctor. No one is accusing of drug seeking. XR is not less addictive as I'm hoping you know by now.  It's still a benzo and benzo's harm the cns period.

 

I'm really glad you're seeing that you need to get off this stuff, but don't do it in a fashion that will cause you problems down the line. You've gotten some really great advice here, but also some not so great advice re: cold turkey. Do people survive cold turkey? I'd say most do.  But is it safe or right for you?  Not really.  Take the sound advice and taper.  Be smart and be an advocate for your own health. I've literally talked to countless people who've done cold turkey's like Greengirl for instance who say if they had to do it over again they would have tapered.

 

Not many admit that their CT/RT was the right thing. I needed to do it. And now on day 20, I have no regrets. But I am a special case. I had already lost my mind before the rapid taper began. I would have never survived a slow taper. I also did it as a hospital inpatient. But I have suvived and am not dysfunctional. I am better than when I was on a fixed K dose. It may seem counterintuitive, but the hospital forced rapid taper, plus Cymbalta, saved my life. So I disagree with the fixed notion that a slow taper fits all circumstances.

[[ce...]]

Berthacow and Jessicarabbit,

It really breaks my heart that you feel you are being "attacked". That's not what's happening here. We are simply trying to express to you the very real dangers of doing a cold turkey.  There is an entire section of the forum dedicated to those who've done cold turkey's and need support through it. Benzo's as you know are not to be taken lightly and they can't just be cold turkeyed without problems as you've already discovered. We're not telling you anything new here and no one is trying to harm or "scare anyone off".  Please, I'm only trying to help JessicaRabbit.  That is all. I don't get paid to be here to help people. I do it because I know how devastating the drugs are from my own experience with it. Fortunately I've been able to recover and that's why I'm here to offer support and encouragement to others going through this very thing.

Cedar

[[to...]]

Why is it that everyone seems to attack a person for stating their experience with a CT?  It's just an 'experience' and an opinion and we ask for that.

 

We understand that this forum is completely against any CT cuts from Benzos. If this is all we are going to be lectured on, then maybe this forum isn't the place I want to get my info from.  I would like to hear experiences from ALL people, not just the slow taperers! Please don't scare them off or you will scare me off??

 

We are all different, have different tolerances, dosages, symptoms, lifestyles, jobs, support systems, etc..

 

Please don't lecture someone for explaining their experience nor me for asking a specific opinion, especially because we are new and inexperienced......  I Got the 'Colin' warning at the beginning and understand that.

 

If you don't want to hear this, then delete me from your forum.....  :'(

 

Bertha

 

Right on Bertha

[[ce...]]

For Berthacow.

 

Years ago I did a cold turkey from Xanax, not knowing the dangers of what I was doing. It took about a week of wicked, knock your socks off wd symptoms before I began to feel any improvements. Perhaps if I had never taken another benzo again I'd been one of the lucky ones not to experience protracted wd.  But, shortly after that cold turkey my doctor felt it necessary to increase my dose and so I'll never know what the outcome would be for me with that cold turkey beause I was reinstated (not knowing the dangers of what I was doing then).

 

That is why I am passionate about sharing why it's important to taper.  I learned the very hard way why it's so important. There is ZERO way I could have survived a  second cold turkey attempt and although I had constant tolerance (paradoxical) symptoms I'm very glad I stuck out my taper.  In the end I know it benefited me and that's why I'm sharing that here.

 

Now I'm feeling like I'm being attacked for sharing some wisdom.  Geez!

 

 

[[ce...]]

People who wish to taper are not drug seekers.  If she's not willing to help you by giving you something other than XR, maybe it's time to find another doctor. No one is accusing of drug seeking. XR is not less addictive as I'm hoping you know by now.  It's still a benzo and benzo's harm the cns period.

 

I'm really glad you're seeing that you need to get off this stuff, but don't do it in a fashion that will cause you problems down the line. You've gotten some really great advice here, but also some not so great advice re: cold turkey. Do people survive cold turkey? I'd say most do.  But is it safe or right for you?  Not really.  Take the sound advice and taper.  Be smart and be an advocate for your own health. I've literally talked to countless people who've done cold turkey's like Greengirl for instance who say if they had to do it over again they would have tapered.

 

Not many admit that their CT/RT was the right thing. I needed to do it. And now on day 20, I have no regrets. But I am a special case. I had already lost my mind before the rapid taper began. I would have never survived a slow taper. I also did it as a hospital inpatient. But I have suvived and am not dysfunctional. I am better than when I was on a fixed K dose. It may seem counterintuitive, but the hospital forced rapid taper, plus Cymbalta, saved my life. So I disagree with the fixed notion that a slow taper fits all circumstances.

All I can say Tortoise is that this is an exception and not the rule. 

 

I'm really am glad you are doing well at 20 days off a cold turkey, but that doesn't happen for most people here and it's not encouraged because of the medical dangers.  It's good that you had medical personnel to watch over you in the beginning.  If I had done a cold turkey even inpatient, my wd would have continued to be debilitating and I could not have even written on the forum I was so sick. 

 

Lets not beat each other up. We've survived an awful drug and that's a miracle in my opinion.

 

I really hope continued health and healing Tortoise. 

[[to...]]

For Berthacow.

 

Years ago I did a cold turkey from Xanax, not knowing the dangers of what I was doing. It took about a week of wicked, knock your socks off wd symptoms before I began to feel any improvements. Perhaps if I had never taken another benzo again I'd been one of the lucky ones not to experience protracted wd.  But, shortly after that cold turkey my doctor felt it necessary to increase my dose and so I'll never know what the outcome would be for me with that cold turkey beause I was reinstated (not knowing the dangers of what I was doing then).

 

That is why I am passionate about sharing why it's important to taper.  I learned the very hard way why it's so important. There is ZERO way I could have survived a  second cold turkey attempt and although I had constant tolerance (paradoxical) symptoms I'm very glad I stuck out my taper.  In the end I know it benefited me and that's why I'm sharing that here.

 

Now I'm feeling like I'm being attacked for sharing some wisdom.  Geez!

 

I don't think you weren't being attacked. but there is a politicalaly correct notion that one must taper slowly. But I have seen things during my hospitalization that I wouldn't have believed otherwise. Four other patients were taken off benzo's rapidly, one was on 6 mgs ativan, one on three mgs ativan, one on 1 mg xanax and one on 6mgs ativan AND 8 mgs Klonipin. That last person just finished her taper yesterday. All of these people were highly tolerant of their rapid taper even though everybody had some withdrawal. I suffered during and after mine, but it was NOT intolerable. There were two days during my taper ahd one on day 4 after, where I truly felt like death, but on day 17 i felt good enough to have intercourse with my wife. I am even driving again. I lost my job during my hospitalization and I am unhappy about that. I still would not have been able to do my job, which involved looking under a microscope, but I could do most other jobs just fine.

[[ce...]]

For me it was much more than a "politically correct notion". For me it was life and death. Thanks  for the attack though.  I really cannot say I appreciate that at all. 

[[to...]]

Cedar

 

I didn't mean to dismiss your opinion or "attack" you. In fact, you seem like a nice person and I appreciate your best wishes. but you admit yourself that you CT'ed xanax once with only one hellish week. Therefore it is possible to do it and recover quickly.

 

If you read the Benzo Book by Jack Hobson, you will see a perfect example of a person torturing hemself with a long taper. Hobson crossed over to 60 mgs Valium from 3 mgs Xanax and tapered for over 2 years, and suffered withdrawal symptoms for 9 months post taper. That adds up to three years of misery, most of which would have been avoided, in my opinion, with a rapid medical taper or detox CT. And I speak from personal experience. I tried a valium crossover and taper, and found it completely intolerable. My hospital supervised rapid taper has saved me well over a year of slow torture.

 

I ahve one caveat. If you find a sweet spot with a slow taper that is better. I tried a slow taper and just kept crashing. It put me into Major Depression.

[[ce...]]

The point is this, we will never know how "well" I did from that cold turkey because after being off for a week, the anxiety began getting worse again and my doctor reinstated me on a much higher dose.  What I experienced was hell on earth. I lost everything. My health, my home, and worst of all time with my child which I will never get back.  You cannot replace time.  It destroyed my life for many years and I feel deeply fortunate to still be alive today.

 

IF I had cold turkeyed this last time we may not be having this conversation now and that's a fact.

 

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=53153.0

[[je...]]

Well, I really do appreciate everyones input my point was just that all I wanted was peoples experiences with CT from xanax... I know none of us are the same but, it can be reassuring to know people survive.  I also know from my past ct that optimism is key.  So, horror stories are not really necessary bc I have had most every sx I could think of.  What I was getting at I guess is how was your experience if you did it.  I did not wish to be judged for a decision that i am being forced into nor, so I wish to judge anyone else.  I know everyone says find another doctor but at this point financially that is not possible.  As stated prior I have a child with serious medical issues and her medication is LIFE SAVING.  Without it she will die. Therefore as a mom I have to do what I am capable of doing.  Which at this point looks like tapering the best i can on what i have left and then jumping.  I appreciate everyones concern and I also appreciate those of you who give me hope...Jess

[[Sc...]]

Jess....I just posted to your blog as well. I see you are in a hard position here and wish you all the best. You have tremendous strengths, I had that at one time but this last 1/2 year has drained me, and now I have the w/d to deal with as well. You have given me insight and hope that I can get through this yucky time and can do a better job of coping along the way.

[[je...]]

Scared... Dont sell yourself short.  You are obviously very strong to continue on with this battle.  We all are.  And trust me from what I already know from my last ct I too am scaredstiff...Jess

[[Sh...]]

I tapered directly off of the Alprozalom pill until I got to .25mg and then I water titrated off of that.  I had bad enough symptoms making cuts directly from the pill that I can't imagine not doing a slow taper from Xanax.  I believe that Xanax is one of the toughest benzos to get off of.  My symptoms while I was tapering were:

 

1.  dizziness

2.  heavy pressure in head

3.  nerve buzzing in left leg and foot (unbearable at times) - I still have nerve damage in my left foot and I'm almost 17 months post benzo taper

4.  chills

5.  muscle jerks - especially at night

6.  muscle twitching - which I still get on and off

7.  intrusive thoughts - still sometimes have

8.  insomnia at 12 months post benzo taper and still dealing with at this time

 

I believe that a slow taper from Xanax is the best option to help minimize withdrawal symptoms.  I cut too fast from 1.5mg to the .25 dose because I had no help until my hubbie found this site when I was at the .25 dose. I then learned how to water titrate which was a life saver.

 

Shekinah

[[je...]]

Shekinah... That may actually be an option.  I am doing quite a rapid taper at this point to get my dose atleast a little lower (like to .25, if Im lucky) so that if i have to jump so be it.  Thank you for the response.  That is very helpful.  It all just depends on what the Dr. says on thurs.  Jess

[[je...]]

And interesting about the muscle twitching.  I had that VERY intense this morning.  I did not have it when i quit the K.... or maybe I was just to much of a wreck to remember.  Thanks again.

[[gr...]]

Jessica

People CT all the time, for all kinds of reasons, and survive, it is what follows in the next year or two that can really drag people down and drive them to reinstate. I just wanted to share my experience so that you could know what can happen, if you ask about CT you are going to hear horror stories, CT and horror stories kind of go hand in hand you know

 

I don't think anyone here is judging you, just concerned for your welfare and hoping to save you some suffering, that is all I totally understand being in a bind with your doctor, I was too when I was forced off and was unsuccessful in finding another doctor to prescribe, despite my best efforts. It's an awful place to be. I got the same kind of advice you are getting here when I posted that my CT was inevitable and it scared the crap out of me, but I realized that everyone was concerned for my safety, not judging me. It's hard on the internet, we don't know you, we're not nearby, words of caution and support based on our own experiences are all we have.

 

Whatever happens, however this plays out, however rough it is, you're going to survive it, that's a fact. It's just human nature for us to try to offer something to you that can cushion the blow.

[[je...]]

Thanks Greengirl... i am very frustrated right now.  My first doctor was thrilled to write prescriptions for benzos and so I took them as prescribed.  He retired and sent me to a doctor who hates benzos because they are addictive and has a problem with even writing a prescription for a small amount.  I dont mind the horror stories I guess... I know its not going to be easy by any means... Its just really frustrating when its not a real choice.  What was it like for you the year or so after??? But you know, Jess

[Guest [...]]

Why is it that everyone seems to attack a person for stating their experience with a CT?  It's just an 'experience' and an opinion and we ask for that.

 

We understand that this forum is completely against any CT cuts from Benzos. If this is all we are going to be lectured on, then maybe this forum isn't the place I want to get my info from.  I would like to hear experiences from ALL people, not just the slow taperers! Please don't scare them off or you will scare me off??

 

We are all different, have different tolerances, dosages, symptoms, lifestyles, jobs, support systems, etc..

 

Please don't lecture someone for explaining their experience nor me for asking a specific opinion, especially because we are new and inexperienced......  I Got the 'Colin' warning at the beginning and understand that.

 

If you don't want to hear this, then delete me from your forum.....  :'(

 

Bertha

 

 

Bertha

 

Hows it going?  Unfortunately you cant ask for an experience without US giving our opinion.  Have you ever done a cold turkey?  Coz if you have you would know the emotion it evokes in people.  If you have you would know what the depths of real hell feels like.  I dont even like talking about it anymore let alone writing about it.  So when people take the time out to relay their personal experiences it takes lots of emotion and it also brings back extremely powerful memories aka trauma.  So you know sometimes we the people who did c/t do say things that perhaps come across as seemingly like an attack but its actually because we are trying to protect someone else from suffering true horrors.  Actually im an advocate for a rapid taper ask anyone around here I have often been shot down for my opinions however their is a big difference between a rapid taper and a cold turkey. 

 

If anyone on this forum choses to visit the cold turkey section of this forum they aint gunna find Disneyland now are they.  If people come to this part of the board you know its the seedy side of town where noone wants to go.  So sorry if you feel scared off but sometimes the truth hurts and it needs to.  Jess is not  a new person in town so she has been down the path before and I totally respect her dont always agree but thats ok.  Jess knew what kind of responses she would get when she posted it and although the threads here are for many to read I guess the questions answered were written for her who we know.

 

So noone is going to ever stop someone from doing a cold turkey right I mean who are we and sometimes people just can come of large doses of benzos just fine Ive heard plenty of stories of people doing just that.  To me though its just f'd up path to take.  Anyway dont get scared of the forum take it from me the best thing to do is this if you see a thread and you dont feel comfortable dont read it their is some scary $hit on here.  Curiosity killed the cat words i need to remember myself.

 

all the best to you

 

Lizzy